The Atlanta Braves are having an interesting offseason as injuries have piled up along with a few questionable smaller signings by general manager Alex Anthopoulos. One move that raised eyebrows was Atlanta agreeing to a deal with former New York Mets first baseman Dominic Smith.
“First baseman Dominic Smith finds job with Atlanta, signing one-year minor-league contract,” Bob Nightengale of USA Today wrote.
Shortly after the signing, shock spread throughout the Braves’ entire Spring Training facility when it was announced that Jurickson Profar had once again been suspended for PED use.
“Atlanta Braves designated hitter Jurickson Profar is facing a 162-game suspension after testing positive for a performance-enhancing drug for the second time in the last year, sources told ESPN on Tuesday. Profar, 33, is the sixth player to receive a 162-game ban for PED use since Major League Baseball increased the penalty for two-time offenders to a full season in 2014. He will forfeit the entirety of his $15 million salary,” Jeff Passan wrote for ESPN.
With that news, Atlanta has been scrambling to find a solution. One positive for the Braves is that they also signed Mike Yastrzemski, who has been hitting extremely well this spring. When it comes to the designated hitter role, the initially questionable signing of Smith may now become exactly what the Braves need to begin the season.
“Dom Smith is having a strong spring with the Atlanta Braves, hitting .421 with a 1.132 OPS. He’s coming off a successful stint with the Giants last season and now with the absence of Jurickson Profar, could have a role with regular at-bats in 2026 with Atlanta,” FanSided’s Robert Murray wrote.
There is no denying that the Braves may have struck gold with the Smith signing, as he now appears to have a legitimate chance to make the Opening Day roster. Atlanta is trying to make its lineup work despite the void left by Profar.
This is the second time Profar has put the organization in a difficult position after a similar situation a little over a year ago. The Braves outfielder clearly did not learn from his first offense, and it now looks likely that Smith could begin the season handling designated hitter duties.
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